''Parexocoetus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flying fish The Exocoetidae are a family (biology), family of Saltwater fish, marine Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish in the order (biology), order Beloniformes, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven genus, ge ...

es. They are found in the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

Oceans. It is the only genus in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Parexocoetinae which is unique among the flying fishes in having a jaw which is very protrusible and having a joint situated between the

cranium The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

and the

shoulder girdle The shoulder girdle or pectoral girdle is the set of bones in the appendicular skeleton which connects to the arm on each side. In humans, it consists of the clavicle and scapula; in those species with three bones in the shoulder, it consists o ...

which allows the head to be more maneuverable than in other lineages of this family.

Species

Three recognized species are in this genus: * ''

Parexocoetus brachypterus The sailfin flying fish (''Parexocoetus brachypterus'') is a member of the flying fish family (''Exocoetidae''). As is typical of other members of its family, this species has the ability to jump out of the water and glide on hypertrophied fins i ...

'' ( J. Richardson, 1846) (sailfin flyingfish) * ''

Parexocoetus hillianus ''Parexocoetus hillianus'' is a species of flying fish from the genus ''Parexocoetus''. It is found in the western Atlantic in the waters of the Gulf Stream off the southeastern United States and Bermuda south through the Gulf of Mexico and the Ca ...

'' ( P. H. Gosse, 1851) * ''

Parexocoetus mento ''Parexocoetus mento''; also known as the African sailfin flying fish, Cuvier's flying fish, the yellow belly flying fish or the short-winged flying fish; is a species of flying fish from the family Exocoetidae which is found in the Indo-pacific r ...

'' (

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, 1847) (African sailfin flyingfish)

References

Exocoetidae {{Beloniformes-stub